[Edaily Starin, Reporter Choi Hee-jae ] "If someone is this eccentric..."

During an interview for the film *The Resurrected Man: The Red* (*The Resurrected Man*) held on the 28th at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Director Baek shared details about his collaboration with Koo Kyo-hwan and behind-the-scenes stories from the production.
“The Resurrected Man” tells the story of “Seok-hwan” (Koo Kyo-hwan), a job seeker whose only “qualification” is baseless confidence, who discovers he possesses the ability to come back to life 72 hours after death and finds himself pursued by mysterious assailants. The film stars Koo Kyo-hwan alongside Kang Ki-young, Shin Seung-ho, and Kim Si-ah.
Director Baek, a former director of famous commercials, is presenting “The Resurrected Man” as his third feature film, following “The Beauty Inside” and “The Outlaws 2.” “I’m nervous,” Director Baek said. “Since many good films were released during the holiday season and ours is coming out right after the holiday ends, I can’t help but be concerned.”
He explained, “It’s not the release timing itself that makes me nervous, but rather the fact that this film—which was created over a very long period with many people—is finally meeting its audience.”
Director Baek, who was drawn to the premise of resurrection and job seekers, explained, “The initial cut was longer than the current version. We went through multiple rounds of editing, incorporated various opinions, and condensed the story.” He continued, “Our goal was to ensure the plot unfolded at a very fast pace, so we decided to boldly cut out anything that wasn’t essential to that objective. The result is what you see now.”

In terms of Director Baek’s vision, finding the right actor to play the lead character, Seok-hwan, was the most crucial starting point. Recalling his first meeting with Koo Kyo-hwan, he said, “I can’t say for sure since I haven’t been inside the actor’s mind, but I suspect we both felt, ‘We’ve both crossed the line—he’s on board, and so am I.’”
He added, “I’m not very good at making others laugh, and I don’t laugh much myself, so I don’t usually connect well with comedy, but I think our film has a quirky side. When I first met Koo Kyo-hwan, I was convinced, ‘Someone this quirky could pull off the role of Seok-hwan.’”
Director Baek said, “He always comes to the set very well prepared. His own thoughts are condensed into his lines,” adding, “There might be slight misalignments between Mr. Koo Kyohwan and his co-star, but he discussed and coordinated those with me. It was incredibly enjoyable to steer the project.”
He had known Kang Ki-young, who played the role of Yeong-ha, since his days as a commercial director. Director Baek remarked, “I can predict what will come out when I flip a certain switch,” adding, “I was convinced that as long as I let Koo Kyohwan and Kang Ki-young face off against each other’s outbursts, their chemistry would work perfectly.”
He continued, “Kang Ki-young is incredibly talented. The scene with the black raspberries was his ad-lib,” and praised him, saying, “I envied that lively quick-wittedness and freshness that burst out in every moment. I think it’s an exceptional talent that Ki-young possesses.”
Regarding Shin Seung-ho, who played Black, he said, “He picked things up incredibly fast. He struggled a lot with the foreign language, but there was something innate in his voice.”
Regarding Kim Si-a, who played Yerin and showcased sibling chemistry with Koo Gyo-hwan, he shared, “On set, I told actors Gyo-hwan and Si-a not to become friends. I tried to instill in them just how sharp their relationship was by observing real-life siblings around us, but Si-a actually got along well with her younger brother. That attempt failed,” drawing laughter.
He added, “The reason I kept asking her to maintain a somewhat lonely expression was for just one final scene, and I’m grateful she pulled it off so well.”
Kim Yoo-jung’s special appearance is another highlight of the film. To preserve the film’s surprise, he remained tight-lipped about her role. Director Baek shared their special connection, saying, “I first saw Kim Yoo-jung when she was around 3 or 4 years old. I first saw her in a commercial when she was modeling children’s clothing.”
He added, “But she didn’t remember me,” and noted, “She’s been on a steady rise ever since, hasn’t she? It was a fantastic casting choice.”

Director Baek, who described himself as someone who doesn’t laugh easily, was indeed serious throughout the interview. However, the film features humorous moments here and there, and the actors’ performances and cartoonish direction brought them to life effectively.
When asked if he had ever laughed, Director Baek gave an off-the-wall answer, just like in the movie. “Actor Seung-ho sweats a lot, so we had to touch up his makeup frequently,” Director Baek explained. “Since he had to speak three different languages in the film, he would mumble his lines while getting his makeup touched up, and the crew seemed to find that very comforting.”
He continued, “You know how Seong Si-kyung has that famous closing line, ‘Good night,’ on his radio show? I asked Seung-ho to say ‘Good night,’ and the crew seemed even more at ease. I think that was the only moment I actually laughed,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
In *The Resurrected Man*, spectacular visual effects—including CGI and VFX—are expected to enhance the viewing experience. Director Baek explained, “It required a lot of thought regarding the level of difficulty, as well as extensive research and experimentation. We divided the story into three parts to portray Seok-hwan’s power, and we had to maintain a sense of order that grew stronger as the story progressed.”
He continued, “From the middle to the end of the film, it was difficult to portray the action—specifically, the physical action involving wire work—using traditional methods.” He added, “We spent a lot of time researching and deliberating on how to depict the boundary between the digital and the analog. There were many scenes that defied the laws of physics, and I think that’s why viewers perceive it as having a comic-book-like quality.”
When asked about a potential sequel, he added, “Personally, I believe the story of ‘The Heir’ is already implied. I’ve imagined it quite a bit,” drawing attention.
Finally, Director Baek left a message for prospective viewers, saying, "'The Resurrected Man' is lighthearted, fast-paced, not too serious, and not too heavy."
“The Resurrected Man” opens on the 30th.